French game studio Don’t Nod has announced a “reorganization project” that could result in up to 69 layoffs, sparking concerns among employees and the union that represents them, STJV (Le Syndicat des Travailleurs et Travailleuses du Jeu Vidéo). The STJV described this plan as the result of a “series of catastrophic decisions” made by the company, a critique the union had raised earlier this year in a public statement.
While the reorganization is still being negotiated between Don’t Nod and STJV, the union recently issued a new statement condemning the layoffs. It claims upper management has disregarded employee concerns for over a year, especially regarding the company’s financial troubles, which are now being used to justify the proposed job cuts.
“Workers’ representatives at Don’t Nod have been sounding the alarm for more than a year about the company’s economic situation,” the STJV stated. “This layoff plan is creating an atmosphere of extreme violence. We are calling on all workers at Don’t Nod to mobilize to protect their jobs and working conditions.”
The union drew parallels between Don’t Nod’s situation and Ubisoft’s recent labor tensions. Earlier this year, the STJV encouraged Ubisoft workers to join a three-day strike in response to a new return-to-office policy. A similar labor movement may be necessary at Don’t Nod. “Faced with executives who mock their workers, a social movement like the one currently happening at Ubisoft is necessary,“ the statement reads. “We will not pay for our bosses’ mistakes.”
Don’t Nod recently reported an 11% decline in year-on-year operating revenue for the first half 2024. CEO Oskar Guilbert attributed this downturn to the studio’s latest release’s underperformance despite positive reviews and emphasized that previously implemented performance measures no longer seem sufficient to keep the company competitive.
Despite these financial challenges, Don’t Nod’s upcoming game, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, remains scheduled for release in February 2025. The highly anticipated ’90s teen drama will be under pressure to meet sales expectations, though, as Guilbert noted, solid reviews have yet to guarantee financial success. Similarly, the well-received Jusant has been praised by critics, suggesting the company’s developers are not to blame for its current difficulties.